To Save The Lady Gwen
by JRavenTheFangirl
Summary: Lady Guinevere has been kidnapped, and who better to save her than Sir Gawain, Sir Kai, Sir Tor, and Sir Dinaden? (And Terence) (All credit for the photo goes to BobbyLobster)
1. Chapter 1

To Save The Lady Gwen I: Noble Noble

"To save the lady Gwen!" I sang. "Hm hm, hm hm, hm hm!" My horse stepped to the beat as I swayed rhythmically.

Beside me with the light beating on them from the east was Gawain, and next to him was his squire, Terence. On the other side of me was Tor, then Kai. At the moment we weren't going uphill; the land was flat. But that would change soon, as the terrain was raised not too distantly. None of us were wearing armor, which was unusual, but it was on the backs of our horses (Terence's horse carried his master's). There was no need to wear armor, not at that particular point in time. We wouldn't be reaching our destination for a while. And even if we were, it would be much too warm to put on anything of the sort.

The problem with armor, especially chain-mail, was that if it was too cold outside, the metal would be freezing. And if it was hot, like it was then, it'd roast you. So I and all the other knights avoided it, knowing that we'd feel unbeatably warm. It was early but already feeling like mid-afternoon.

At least it was beautiful. Since everything was flat and dull with only the occasional tree every mile or so, there was nothing to block the blaring sun from roaring above the hills. It was barely fully shown, and the bottom slightly grazed the lush, green grass below. The sky was a light blue; hardly a color at all. But by the time it hit the curve of the land, if you followed it with your eyes, it faded into a natural blue, the shade everyone thought of.

This glorious (but much too hot) scene relaxed most of us. And it relaxed me enough to sing. I didn't have any instrument at the time but my voice, so that would have to do. I considered myself a good singer, though, and didn't take any invitation but my own free will to begin.

I hadn't thought of many words, though, but I let the music flow out my mouth without any idea which note was coming next. The words as well were spontaneous. Occasionally I would start over, repeating my decided lyrics as not to forget them. I hadn't recorded any of it; I had no paper. It was more fun, though, not having to stop and take a minute or so to record it. I could just live in the moment.

Gawain laughed. "Haven't thought much of the lyrics, hm, Dinaden?"

I shook my head. "No, not really."

"Obviously," Kai snorted. "Not to any offense."

_Yeah, sure._

"Milord, how long do you think it'll take to get to the castle?" Terence whispered to his master.

"A few days, lad. It'll be a while," Gawain whispered back.

"I hope they don't do anything to Queen Guinevere before we come to rescue her," Tor said with concern, slicking his hair back more.

Yes, the Lady Guinevere had been kidnapped. The night before was normal, a feast with all the knights present, and it took an unexpected turn…

_A horse and his rider ran through the doors, knocking them open, and into the dining hall. The knights stood up and those who had their swords drew them. The ladies hid behind their men and Guinevere took her husband, Arthur's arm. Sir Bedievere was the first to slash at the knight as he rode in further, targeting Arthur and his wife. The sword came close, but the knight blocked it at the speed of light and countered to his chest. Bedievere was too slow compared to him and took a blow there, falling down soon after. Any other knights who dared to come close to the enemy were also defeated, with almost fatal wounds. The knight snatched Guinevere up onto the horse, at the same time avoiding any attacks from Arthur, and escaped._

"I won't hold my breath," Kai replied. "We don't know who they are; we only know that they escaped to the only castle in the area. But we can only assume this is set up to lure his best knights there, then defeat them, so King Arthur would have only others worse for the job."

There was a slight pause in conversation, and Terence said, "Then why did he send us?"

"Because," Kai said triumphantly, "he knows we'll win."

I smiled; Kai was right.

Gawain yawned, and stretched his arms out slightly when he did. "Good gog, why'd he have to wake us up so early for this…?"

"The best time to leave is in the morning so that we get enough done in this day. That way there will be less to travel tomorrow," said Kai. His voice was flat and completely devoid of emotion.

I saw Gawain glare at him. "Thanks," he spat. Kai chuckled.

"Any more music, anyone?" I asked.

Tor nodded. "Sure. Do a classic."

"Hm… how about Sir Gawain and the Green Knight?"

Gawain grinned and put his hand on his cheek, pretending to blush. "Oh, stop it, you're making me blush." He slightly shook back and forth and batted his eyes. I saw his squire roll his eyes.

I laughed, and started to sing it. Once I finished, the knights clapped and I dipped my head as if bowing.

"Aw," Gawain said, "makes me sound so noble noble…"

The squire laughed. "Noble noble?" Gawain nodded and smiled triumphantly at his (probably) mistake. Terence tilted his head to him and said, "Ah, well, you _are_ noble noble, milord."

"Oh, hehe."

"And next time don't insult yourself to get a compliment, o noble noble one."

"Dash you, Terence."

I put my hand over my mouth and laughed, but stopped immediately when I felt something pierce the back of my head, and I yelped with pain and surprise. I started to get lightheaded, and I tipped over ono the neck of my horse. The last thing I saw was arrows shooting to the other knights and Terence rushing over to me.


	2. Chapter 2

To Save the Lady Gwen II: Brave Sir Kai

"Hey," I said to the seneschal, "Kai, I think that Dinaden's awakening."

Kai walked to me and looked over my shoulder. Dinaden's eyes were opening slowly but they squinted at the sun above him, and he mumbled some things that we couldn't understand. He shifted slightly on the grass he laid on, and was eventually looking up at us.

"Mn… what happened…?" Dinaden asked.

"You were hit by an arrow in the back of the head," I explained. "The men who attacked were pretty easy to defeat, but you were wounded. That was an hour ago."

Dinaden nodded, and started to sit up, but I put a hand on his chest and pushed him back down again. "No, you need to rest."

"Tor-"

"Trust me," I insisted, "it'll help."

"I'm thirsty; I'll just go get some water." Dinaden smiled- of course- but I held him down. Behind me, I heard Kai standing up and walking in another direction, but I ignored it.

"Terence is out gathering some more water for us and you'll be hydrated soon," I said.

Dinaden thought for a second until he realized he had no response, so he sighed and stopped trying to get up. A second later, Terence and Gawain walked out of the trees leading to the field we were in, snapping short phrases at each other slightly angrily.

"I do not!" Terence exclaimed. He was carrying the bucket of water, and trying to swat his master away with another hand.

Gawain laughed. "Mhm, sure."

"You little-!"

Kai groaned. "Stop your bickering, you two. Dinaden's awake."

That caught their attention. Gawain took the bucket from his squire and rushed over to the wounded knight. He kneeled down beside his friend, and Dinaden drank the water inside the container.

"Feeling better?" Gawain asked.

Dinaden nodded. Once he was done drinking, Gawain walked next to Kai. "Yeah. Did the arrow really strike me that bad?"

"Yes," said Kai. Terence was walking next to him too. "You fell unconscious and were bleeding out pretty badly for a while."

"That must be why I'm so lightheaded..."

"Mhm. You'll be fine now; it stopped, but you won't be fighting any dragons either."

Dinaden chuckled. He tried to sit up again, and this time I didn't stop him. "Well, we've got to save Guinevere, remember? We should get going."

Kai grumbled, "That's what I've been telling them for the past hour. I'm glad someone agrees with me."

Terence slightly glared at the knight. "I was agreeing with you; have you forgotten?"

"No, I remember. But it's not a big difference if a squire agrees, if you ask me."

Terence hissed and clenched his fists, but Gawain set a hand on his shoulder and calmed him. "Don't bother, lad," Gawain whispered. I was sure that Kai heard him, but he ignored him.

"Alright," I said. "I just thought it was good to stop for a while. Maybe an hour was too long, but oh well. Let's get the horses and go."

Kai nodded in approvement, and he and Gawain helped Dinaden onto his horse. Within a minute or two we were off again in our adventure. A silence held between our little parade (a parade which was set up with Kai at the front, me behind him, Dinaden behind me, and ended with Gawain then Terence) for quite a while. I think that all of us were expecting Dinaden to break it with some music, a joke or just a random interjection. And he did.

"Bravely bold Sir Kai, rode forth from Camelot! He was not afraid to die, O brave Sir Kai! He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways. Brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Kai! He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp. Or to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken. To have his kneecaps split and his body burned away, and his limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Sir Kai! His head smashed in and his heart cut out and his liver removed and his bowels unplugged and his nostrils raped and his bottom burnt off and his penis-"

"DINADEN WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SINGING?!" Kai yelled. Terence, Gawain and I laughed so hard we almost fell off out horses. Dinaden grinned proudly. "That arrow must've damaged some part of your brain."

"Nope, I just have good taste in music!" he said.

"Sorry, I meant in addition to whatever part was lost when you were dropped on your head as a child."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." He clapped slowly.

"Stop bickering, you two," Gawain said, deepening his voice to mock Kai from what he said earlier. He received a glare from the angry knight.

"Hey!" I said. I had raised my voice a bit to catch their attention, and I did. I pointed in the direction ahead of us and slightly to the right, and they looked the same way. "We're almost there!" A tall grey castle sat on top of a hill behind a forest and a lake, and though it was farther than I had said and would take a few days to reach, it was still in sight.

"You're right," said Gawain. I could hear the smile in his tone.

"Yes. Now it's obvious where our destination is and that's good, even though it will take a few days," said Kai.

"Fabulous!" Dinaden exclaimed. "Plenty of time to sing!"

I almost _felt_ the dread in Kai, and he urged his horse quicker forward. "So come on, let's get there fast."

The rest of us laughed and followed him eagerly.

**A/N: if you didn't get that song reference it was from Monty Python and the Holy Grail… which is an AWESOME movie, by the way. It was originally Sir Robin, though, not Sir Kai. But no, I did NOT think of that! I'm not that gutsy to create something like that… MONTY PYTHON, on the other hand… XD but seriously, look it up, The Tale of Sir Robin. It's so funny. Anyways I hope you liked it! ^^**


	3. Chapter 3

To Save the Lady Gwen III: Kind

"Mn…" I mumbled. I opened my eyes slowly and looked up to see a sky above me. When they adjusted I saw stars scattered around the sapphire canvas. I shifted my body around, trying to sit up, and something that felt like sand seemed to be under me. When I fully sat up, I looked down and saw that sand _was_ under me. And a sea was lapping at my feet.

"Bravely bold Sir Kai," hummed a voice, "laid napping on the beach. He slept while his friend took watch, oh, brave Sir Kai!" Of course, who else but Dinaden would sing that tune and somehow sound sarcastic? He was sitting around a crackling fire, writing something in the sand with a stick.

"Stop that," I hissed. Dinaden looked over at me, and smiled.

"Ah, you're awake," he said.

I nodded. "Yes." I looked around at my surroundings, and saw a pine forest behind us. Land was visible in the distance over the water, telling me that it was only a lake, but it still didn't tell me where we were. "What happened?" I asked. As I tried to stand up, more blood rushed to my head and it hurt very badly. I grunted and sat down, holding my skull. A cloth was wrapped around the top of it. "And why does my head hurt?"

"Two days after we saw the lake, we arrived there and found a boat at the shore," Dinaden explained. "We rode out to the water but there was an unexpected storm and we got separated. I landed near you, and you'd hit your head on something, I'm not sure. Probably the boat. But you were knocked out and bleeding. I bandaged you and made a fire until you woke up."

He gave me another smile and I looked ahead, thinking about what to do next. It was pretty easy, though. I wobbled up to my feet.

"Well, we have to find the others," I said. Dinaden looked at me in alarm as I tried to walk, and sprinted over to me.

"No, don't stand yet," he told me, taking my arm and pushing me down. Weak, I fell and he knelt beside me. "You're hurt, so I'll go out and search."

"You're hurt too," I mumbled. "You were shot by an arrow a few days ago, so if I'm not going, you're not either."

Dinaden sighed. "That's hardly the case; I think it's a matter of pride with you. You don't want me to be stronger than you."

I glared, but not at him. "That's not true."

I know Dinaden rolled his eyes; I could sense it. "You don't like me, Kai. That's settled."

I chuckled, but not in a humorous way. "Who said that?"

"You."

"When?"

"You infer it."

I couldn't think of what to say next. But I looked at him, and reached to the back of his head. I poked the spot on the bandage, and he winced in pain, bowing his head.

"See?" I exclaimed, maybe a little loud. "That's where you were shot! You're hurt! If you do too much exercise you'll be hurt more, and who knows what's out there that could attack you?" I almost felt like I was sounding more strict than caring. "Stay here." I was looking him in the eyes now, and he was staring back, very, _very_ surprised.

He waited a second, then glanced down and smiled. "Okay," he sighed.

So he laid down a few feet away, resting like I was. I sat up, watching for the others, and let him close his eyes. I didn't know if he was asleep, since we went countless minutes without saying anything. I wondered what he thought of me now. Sure, I picked on him, but I wasn't sure if this made up for it. Or if I even _wanted_ it to make up for it. This was confusing, so I stopped thinking about it.

Maybe an hour later, I heard a chuckled from Dinaden. I looked over at him to see what was funny, and his eyes were still closed.

"You're really nice, you know that?"

This took me by surprise, and I blushed a tiny bit. I _blushed_… I didn't even think that was possible.

"Huh?" I asked, unsure of what else to say. Maybe _thank you_ would've been appropriate, but oh well.

"Surprising kind Sir Kai, forced his friend to rest," he sang. I rolled my eyes. Not this again… "Instead of letting him face the danger, oh, kind Sir Kai!"

"Fine, fine, I'm kind," I snapped. "But I didn't say you could sing about it!"

Dinaden just laughed, letting his stomach fall up and down quickly. I blushed more in frustration, and looked back to the sea. Really, though, it was a combination of anger, embarrassment, and something else. Maybe happiness, maybe appreciation, I didn't know. But all I knew was that the night passed away without any more words. That was fine, after all. Talking was tiring, and I liked him better when he just shut up.


	4. Chapter 4

To Save the Lady Gwen IV: Commitment

Another branch shot out at my head. I scowled and slapped it away, and kept walking through the forest. It was dark and hard to see, but I wouldn't let that slow me down. From behind, Tor was panting and trying to keep up with me, but I didn't slow down for him either.

"G-Gawain, could you…" he gasped, "stop for a second?"

"No," I answered flatly. "If you want to rest, rest."

"No, I'll," he panted a few more times, and I heard his footsteps getting quieter, "I'll lose sight of you. Just stop for a second, okay?"

"I don't care," I grunted. "We have to find Terence."

"I admire your commitment to your squire, but-"

"But nothing, Tor." I glanced back at him seriously. "I must find him. He may be hurt, or worse. I'm not stopping until I find him." I kept walking.

Tor, after waiting a few more seconds, ran after me. "Okay, okay!"

He stayed at my pace beside me for the next few minutes, and helped me call out Terence's name, but no one answered. We started shouting for Kai and Dinaden too, but no one shouted back. Maybe we weren't yelling loud enough- our voices got tired the farther we went- or they were deep enough in sleep to not hear us, but we found no one. My worries just increased.

Terence was the _Duke of Avalon_; it's not like he would go without a fight. If he was having to fight something, that is. But even if nothing was attacking, he was a survivor and could have built a mini hotel by the shore, giving free wine and room service if he set his mind to it. I chuckled at that. No, I couldn't think about wine right now; the thought made me thirsty.

But the point still stood. It was a mystery how Terence could manage to be in such a high position in such an important country (I _thought_ Avalon was a country but I wasn't entirely such _what_ is was) and still be probably the best squire I'd ever seen.

All through my thinking, I forgot about Tor, who I was slowly leaving behind. And although my drive to find Terence didn't fade, I had to admit; this was very unlike me. I didn't use that kind of attitude and tone, especially not with Tor. I stopped walking, and after a second turned around to look at my friend, who was sitting down with his back against the tree. I mumbled something, I wasn't sure what, to myself and stepped in his direction, then bent down to his level and hung my a head a little bit.

"I'm sorry," I sighed. "I shouldn't be like this."

"It's alright," he said. I saw a smile run over his lips. "We really do need to find him. Kai and Dinaden, too."

I slumped down beside him. "I'm just really worried… I mean, it's not because Terence can't take care of himself; he can. But… I just get worried. A squire… and a friend, and more, and someone like him… they're hard to find."

I was whispering at the end, and so wrapped up in my thinking that I didn't see Tor looking at me and smiling even wider. I looked back, with my lips curved just a little bit, and he said, "He's lucky to have you as a knight, Gawain… and I know he'll be alright. Terence is a strong boy."

I nodded, and looked down. "Thank you, Tor…" After a second I got up and started looking around. Leaves were scattered around the floor, and I started piling them together with my feet.

"What're you doing?" he asked me. He stood up as well.

"Getting leaves together," I answered. "So we can have somewhere soft to sleep."

"Weren't you going to search some more?"

"No, we'll look tomorrow," he sighed. "There's no guaranteeing that, even if he's near, that he'll hear us and call out. He's probably asleep by now; it looks to be about midnight. Now help me." Tor agreed and got up and helped me. A minute later, we were laying down and saying goodnight. I didn't know how tired I was until I let myself go to sleep.

And, the next thing I knew, I was shaken awake by voices rather close. I opened my eyes halfway and the sun shot light into them. I closed them again, and 'hm'-ed.

"Will you stop rushing me?"

"No, I won't actually."

I recognized those two bickering voices instantly. I sat all the way up and jumped to my feet soon after.

"It's early, okay? They won't be up at this time; especially not after all the things that happened yesterday. They're not going anywhere. Now, how you managed to get up at this time is a complete _mystery_ to me."

"It's instinct."

This woke Tor up and he mumbled, "What…?"

"It's Kai and Dinaden!" I exclaimed. Tor started to get up too, but I was already running out to the beach yelling their names.

Once I got out of the forest I saw them sitting across from each other. Dinaden was eating something, and they both stopped talking and stood up. Dinaden smiled widely, and Kai just looked surprised. Dinaden ran over to us, saying, "Oh, I'm glad you found us!" He and Gawain hugged each other lightly, and then he and Tor did the same. At the same time, Kai was making his way over to them.

"Are you two hurt?" he asked.

They shook their heads. "We're fine," said Tor.

"Hey, have you seen Terence?" Gawain questioned urgently.

"No," said Dinaden. "I assume then, you haven't either."

"No…" Gawain mumbled. "I need to find him."

"Well," Kai began, "we were going to go looking for everyone as soon as Dinaden stopped eating like a _snail_." He glared at him, and Dinaden rolled his eyes.

"Fine, I'll just give up on trying to get the same affection that I did yesterday," he sighed, throwing his hands up in the air.

Kai scoffed. "What affection?"

"Oh, don't pretend like you didn't feel a little compassion for me! If you hated me you would've let me go out into the forest alone, maybe eaten by wolves or something!"

"I was thinking that rescuing Guinevere would be harder if there was one less person from our team." Kai paused. "Then again, it probably wouldn't make a difference. Maybe a little easier, at that."

Gawain and Tor just watched this, and Tor leaned in and whispered to Gawain, "Good gog, they're like an old married couple." Gawain covered his mouth and laughed. "C'mon, let's go look for your squire." Gawain nodded, and they started to walk away.

"We're going after Terence!" Gawain yelled back to them, not turning his head. "Join us when you're done squabbling!"

Kai and Dinaden looked at him, then at each other, then they ran after them. "Alright, alright, wait up!" Dinaden called. They joined them, and the four reunited knights looked for the last addition to their team.


	5. Chapter 5

To Save the Lady Gwen V: Sweet Dreams

I couldn't take even one more step. I was way too tired to do anything. I'd been walking for hours on the beach and found absolutely _nothing_. I fell to my knees, panting, and they trembled beneath me. Every time I breathed it hurt and seemed like not enough at the same time. Before I could realize what was happening, I tipped over and my face landed in the sand. I didn't have the strength to get up, and I just decided to stay there.

I was almost instantly asleep, and barely heard the bushes rustling behind me. But I fully heard footsteps stepping out onto the beach. My hopes rose; maybe it was Gawain!

I lifted my heavy head up, ignoring the sand stuck to my cheek, and drowsily looked to where I had heard the sound. But instead of seeing Gawain, I saw a wolf staring at me with hungry eyes. I inhaled sharply, and started to inch away. It drew closer, and I made my attempt to stand up. If I could find a weapon of some kind, I could fight it.

But my knees collapsed beneath me when I was only halfway standing, and I fell again. The wolf was closer now than before, licking its lips. Now I was really scared. I tried again to stand, but my knees couldn't make it. I was to the edge of the water, and I could feel the cold liquid beneath me. When it first hit, I gasped, surprised.

Then the wolf bent down and stopped walking. I stopped moving away, before I realized that he was getting ready to pounce. I failed, again, to stand up, and tumbled fully into the water. It was freezing cold, but that was the worst of my problems. The wolf leaped up into the air, aiming for me, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

But then, I heard a whoosh and a whimper, and nothing happened for a few seconds. It was quiet, except for the water lapping up onto my stomach. Finally, I got the courage to open my eyes, and an armored knight was standing in the water, a meter away from a dead looking wolf. My jaw trembled and questions shot through my head.

Who was he? Why did he save me? Was he my enemy? It wasn't Gawain's armor, and that disappointed me, but…

The knight saw me trembling and said, through his helm, "No need to be afraid, Your Grace."

My eyes widened. _Your Grace_… he knew I was the duke. But that just raised more questions.

"W-Who are you?" I whispered.

I had a feeling the knight was smiling, though I couldn't see it. But then he raised his left hand, and I saw it glowing slightly. His body started to glow, too, and slowly, his height decreased and the armor transformed in a brown jacket, grey pants and a grey scarf wrapped around his neck. His helm disappeared and I saw a teenage boy's face, with brown hair tied back in a ponytail. I recognized his face instantly.

"R-Rune…?" I asked.

Rune nodded, and smiled. "Yes. I can't defeat wolves in this body," he said, looking down at his hands, "so I chose another."

"Y-You can do that…?"

"Of course." He started to step towards me, and I didn't flinch; I knew he was not going to hurt me. "How do you suppose I watched you on your travels?"

_What…?_

That question could be answered later. Rune sat on his knees beside me, and put his hand on my collarbone. It reminded me of the water surrounding us, and I shivered. It was freezing cold, and I felt like I would turn numb. Rune continued to smile, though. "You're cold?" he murmured.

I nodded, clenching my teeth and looking down. Slowly, he started to lift me up into his arms, carrying me bridal style, and I continued to shake.

When we got to the sand he laid me down, and gathered some sticks lying near. I was only half awake, still cold, and missing being by him. Flames started to sprout up from the pile and I gradually felt warmer. I wondered how this was possible; I hadn't heard him rubbing the twigs together. But I lifted my head up and saw his hands facing the fire, and thought that he had started it on his own.

I murmured, "I didn't know you had magic..."

Rune didn't look at me, but answered calmly. He kept staring at the fire, like he was powering it with his mind. "I don't know enough to be called a sorcerer, but yes, I have some."

"Did you just not study it or...?" I hoped it wasn't annoying to inquire more, but I didn't understand Rune and I really wanted to.

He nodded his head and didn't seem to be bothered. "I had more important things to take care of."

"Like what?"

He finally looked up at me, meeting my eyes instantly, like he knew exactly where they were. "You, of course, Your Grace."

I felt more warmth growing in my body, and I smiled. Then an ice wind blasted on my back and the warmth disappeared. I squeezed my eyes while shivering a bit and grabbing my sides. I heard Rune walking over to me, and then a rustling. Something was draped over me, and I opened my eyes again. It had been his jacket. He pulled his grey scarf off his neck, and also wrapped that around me.

"Thanks..." I whispered.

"My pleasure," was all he said.

"But won't you be cold?"

"Don't worry about me. If you're okay, I am as well." His voice almost blended in with the wind, and it kind of scared me.

There was one question that had been burning in my mind ever since I met him, and I felt I finally had to ask him. "...Rune..." I began.

"Yes, Your Grace?" He had walked and sat over on the other side of the fire, and looked at me through the flames.

I brought myself to look him in the eyes, and asked… "What are you?"

He hesitated before smiling casually and replying, "Please don't worry about matters like that now."

_No, this is my one chance for a while to find out, I thought to myself. _"But I need to know if I can trust you or not."

His eyebrows raised. "You don't trust me?"

I swallowed; that hadn't been the right thing to say. "You're right, I do. …Are you a servant or something...?"

"In a way."

I had to stop myself from smirking. "Then, as the Duke of Avalon, I order you to tell me."

Rune paused, and looked very caught off guard. Then he laughed.

"Ah, very well." He looked down, then up, as if preparing himself for a speech. Which he kind of was. "I am, in a way, like Robin, whom you know very well. Robin watched over you and gave you advice on your quests. I do the same, and more. I chase away your nightmares, like you do with King Arthur, your master and others. I am, in some words, a wiser, better version of Robin. I'm not insulting Robin; he is a good man. But it's my turn now. In sum, I'm your Dreamcatcher."

Through all this, he'd been staring me in the eyes. The flames were hovering over his face and making his appearance seem even creepier and creepier. It didn't look like he blinked at all. Rune protected me… but it really seemed like he was the bad guy.

"...okay... What about that time we met in the woods, while Gawain and I were hunting? You disappeared... was that magic or are you not all human?"

Rune smiled again, and held my gaze steadily. "Don't take this the wrong way, Your Grace, but no, I'm not human."

"Then what are you?" I asked again.

"I already told you; I'm your Dreamcatcher."

"I still don't understand." I felt bad for still not getting it, but I knew he wanted me to, and I did too.

Rune thought for a second, then said, "It's quite hard to explain. We're not ghosts, we're not humans. We are only assigned by the gods to protect, and protect for eternity. And eternity is literal. I've been in this world since humans could open their eyes, and only now I have found the soul I wish to protect."

"Didn't you protect someone else until I was born...?

"That's not how it works. There is only one soul, and one only."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "...are you saying you've waited thousands of years… to find me?"

Rune smiled again, one of his ghostly, creepy, but calming smiles. He paused for suspension, then answered, "That's exactly what I'm saying." It was quiet; _painfully_ quiet and seemed like forever before he added, "...so I'd greatly appreciate it if you trusted me.

I laughed, and pulled the jacket tighter around me. A small wind had brushed the cold air to us.

"O-okay..." I wasn't sure what else to say.

Rune started to fade out, and I was frightened at first. Why would he leave, at a time like this? I didn't want to be alone. But my fears were settled when I saw a body sitting beside me.

He whispered into my ear, "Now, go to sleep."

For some reason I felt okay with that tone, now. I obeyed and started to close my eyes, and leaned onto Rune's chest. Rune smiled and let me.

"Sweet dreams, Your Grace."

Those were the last words I heard before I slipped under consciousness. I wasn't sure if Rune had used his magic to make me fall asleep or I had done it willingly, but either way I knew it was probably the deepest, safest sleep I'd ever had in my life.


	6. Chapter 6

To Save the Lady Gwen VI: Rare Moments

When Terence opened his eyes, the sun didn't waste a second pouring in and shocking him. He squeezed them shut again. It was a minute before he found the courage to fight it and force himself to get used to the light.

He sat up, and looked at his surroundings. He was lying on a beach, and the water lapped onto the shore a few meters away. Behind him was a forest. Then he started to remember where he was and how he got there.

He, Gawain, Dinaden, Tor and Kai had gotten washed up on the beach on their way to save Lady Guinevere. Terence hadn't known where they had landed, and still didn't, but Rune showed up and saved him from getting eaten by a wolf. The last memory Terence had of the night before was falling asleep next to Rune… but he looked around, and no one was there except for him.

Terence yawned, and stretched his arms out. He started to rub the sand stuck on his hands off onto his pants. "I'm hungry," he mumbled. "I'd better find food... Wait…" He noticed that there were three pieces of meat, most likely from a fish, set on a few leaves beside him. Words were also written in the sand beside them. He furrowed his eyebrows. "What the…?"

He turned his body so that he could read the words. They said, "Your Grace, I hope you enjoy your meal. Your friends are not far away, do not worry. Please wear my scarf for protection. Do not give it back like last time. Keep it until we meet again. Take care, and do not strain yourself too much, please. You were tired last night. –Your Loyal Dreamcatcher, Rune".

Terence sighed, and then started to laugh quietly. "Typical Rune." He put his hand on his neck, and, sure enough, felt a scarf wrapped around him. "But I wonder what he meant by 'like last time'…" he whispered. "I've only seen him once or twice before, a month ago… Did we meet before then and I just don't remember it?"

He thought about this, and then decided to drop it. He would ask next time he saw him. He picked up a piece of meat, and bit into it. It was well cooked, and he continued to eat.

Once he had finished, he started to walk down the beach to find Gawain and the others. "Rune said they weren't too far away…" he thought out loud, "so that relaxes me. But I can't slack off; I have to look for them."

Unbeknownst to him… Gawain and Tor were peeking through the trees in the forest just nearby. Tor gasped quietly.

"There's Terence!" he whispered to his friend.

"Shh," said Gawain, grinning. "I know."

"Why aren't you running out to see him?" Tor asked. "You wanted to find him, right?"

Gawain nodded. "Yeah, I did. But… I have an idea."

"Should we wait for Kai and Dinaden to catch up?"

"Nah, it'll be fine. Just follow my lead, 'kay?" Gawain winked at him mischviously.

"O-Okay…"

Terence didn't hear this, and kept walking. Gawain stealthily stepped onto the sand, and crept closer and closer to his squire. Tor nervously followed him.

It was risky; if they made one wrong step, Terence would know they were there and the plan would be ruined. It took a look of patience, and once or twice the sand crunched beneath their feet, but Terence either ignored it or didn't hear it.

It paid off, too. Soon enough, Gawain was an inch away from him, almost about to burst with laughter, but he held it in. He reached his hands out, and, slowly and carefully… grabbed his neck.

Terence shrieked like a teenage schoolgirl, and must've jumped at _least_ two feet off the ground. He was glaring and beet red when he turned around. Gawain and Tor held their sides and laughed uncontrollably, but Terence didn't even _begin_ to laugh.

"Good gog, you are just _horrible_!" Terence yelled.

"Oh," Gawain said between laughs and gasps for breath, "what a fabulous way to greet your master! You know, after being _separated_!"

Terence rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "It wasn't for _that_ long," he mumbled. "Just for one night."

"Even so!"

They started to settle down after that. Even Terence was tempted to let out a little chuckled, but he resisted it. He couldn't let them know they'd won (well, that was how _he_ saw it).

"I'm gonna go get Kai and Dinaden," Tor said, already starting to go back to the forest. "They fell behind." Gawain and Terence nodded their goodbyes, and Tor walked away.

"I didn't really _miss_ you or anything…" Even though Terence said that, he was still blushing.

"Mhm, sure." Gawain smirked and raised one of his eyebrows. "I bet you were _crying_ over the idea of us never seeing each other again."

"No, actually, I was crying over the idea _of_ seeing you again."

Gawain sneered. "Yeah, okay, _fine_, you jerk." Gawain looked at the ground with grim eyes and turned around. Something about it felt cold to Terence. "I'll go after Tor, then."

He started to walk away, but Terence looked at him with a different expression. It occurred to him that Gawain really _was_ a little hurt. After all, Gawain couldn't be immune to all his insults, even if he wasn't intentionally trying to hurt him and Gawain knew that.

Terence exhaled, and started to go after his knight. Gawain didn't think anything of it… until he felt someone wrapping his arms around him from behind. Gawain blushed, and looked over his shoulder. Terence was hugging him, with closed eyes, and red cheeks.

"I missed you," Terence whispered. It was hard to say it, but he meant it, and it was obviously through his voice how sincere it really was.

Gawain smiled. He turned his body around, and hugged his squire back. "I missed you too."

This was one of those rare moments when the true friendship of those two could be seen from a million miles away.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: kind of boring. A preparation for the next chapter. :) Comment, suggest, compliment, critique, love, hate, review and enjoy! :) J**

To Save the Lady Gwen VII: Important

"We're close," Kai grunted. He adjusted his sitting on his horse, and resisted a yawn.

The sky was dark, and the air was starting to get cooler. Kai was the head of our group, with Tor behind him, me after, and then Gawain and Terence.

"We should stop for the night," Kai continued, "and rescue Lady Guinevere early in the morning."

I groaned. "Why early in the morning, of all things?" I _hated_ waking up early. So did everyone else, I was sure; I was simply stating what everyone else was thinking.

Kai looked back at me strictly. "Because, the earlier we get there, the more we're able to take them by surprise. No one wakes up too early."

I gulped. "So, in other words, me saying that just proved your point."

Kai smirked and nodded. Then he faced forward. I sighed. I wasn't looking forward to tomorrow…

After a few more minutes of riding, we were closer than ever to the tall, grey castle where Lady Guinevere was being kept, and we set up camp close, but not too close. Kai ordered "no fires", because they would "give us away". I saw his point clearly, even though I was getting chilly.

And I noticed something else, too… Terence had a maroon scarf around his neck that I'd never seen before. It seemed to keep him warm, and I was glad of that, but still confused at where he got it.

We had our blankets set up in a circle around what would've been the campfire. Gawain was next to his squire. On the other side of Terence was me, then Kai, and Tor was between Kai and Gawain.

We were all in our spots, but sitting, and not asleep. We chatted with one another about pretty much anything, waiting for drowsiness to come over us.

I tried to find an opportunity to ask Terence about the scarf, but at the moment, he and his knight were talking (Kai was also making conversation, with Tor).

So, for once, I wasn't the one talking. I just listened to _them_ talk. And I enjoyed it. I heard different voices talking at the same time, so all the words blended together and I just heard glimpses of dialogue...

"I doubt that!"

"Well you shouldn't!"

Then, from another conversation, "That's good."

"Yeah. When I get back I'm also gonna..."

"Oh, don't worry about it, ya squirrel!"

"Excuse _me_ for caring, _smartass_."

"You make fun of me, Kai, but-"

"I do it by choice. Don't change me."

"I-I didn't say..."

The whole atmosphere just seemed friendly and nice... Even though about half of the conversations were arguments, or teasing.

"Hey, Dinaden," someone said. I looked at who had talked, and saw that it was Tor. Kai drew his attention to me, too, and eventually Gawain and Terence did as well. "You're not talking," Tor mentioned, "if you want to join in a conversation…"

I shook my head and laughed. "Nah, it's fine. I just like listening to all of you. It's fun!"

"That sounds like something Tor would say," said Gawain with a chuckle. I nodded in agreement.

"This is a rare moment," Kai said flatly. "Dinaden's not talking. This doesn't happen often, so we should cherish it."

I rolled my eyes. Everyone else did too and sighed.

Then, Tor yawned, and laid down. "I'm going to sleep," he sighed, closing his eyes. "We need to wake up early tomorrow, right? So we should all get some rest..."

A ripple of mumbled agrees went around our circle, and one by one, we put our heads on our pillows and pulled our covers over our bodies.

"Goodnight, everyone," said Tor with his gentle voice.

"See you tomorrow!" Gawain replied.

"Until morning," Kai sighed.

"G'night!" I told them.

Terence said the same thing as me, and I laid down facing him. He was turned around, though, looking at Gawain when he fell asleep.

He and his squire chuckled quietly when they found themselves looking at each other, but didn't face another way. They fell asleep shortly after.

I smiled. I decided not to ask him about the scarf. He clutched it tightly in one hand and held it close... I figured it was important, and I shouldn't mention it.

So I closed my eyes, and fell into a deep sleep. I'd need it for the next day...


End file.
